Distribution of immunoglobulins and secretory component in gastric cancer of the aged

✍ Scribed by Kazuo Takemura; Katsuiku Hirokawa; Yukiyoshi Esaki; Yoshio Mishima

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 860 KB
• Volume: 66
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19901115)66:10<2168::aid-cncr2820661021>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

The secretory immune system plays an important role in the local humoral immunity of the gastrointestinal tract. In order to evaluate humoral immunity in gastric cancer, distribution of immunoglobulins (Ig) and secretory component was immunohistochemically studied in 74 early and 15 advanced primary gastric cancers. In non-cancerous gastric mucosa, IgA and IgM, and secretory component were mainly identified in the cytoplasm of the intestinal metaplasia. In early gastric cancer of well-differentiated type, the localization of LgA and IgM, and secretory component was similar to that of intestinal metaplasia. In advanced gastric cancer, they were faintly observed and showed low positivity. The number of Ig-containing cells infiltrating cancerous stroma was enumerated. Immunoglobulin A-containing cells were dominant in the stroma of early gastric cancer. On the other hand, there were few Ig-containing cells in the stroma of advanced gastric cancer, and the number of IgA-containing and IgM-containing cells was also decreased. These results suggest that local humoral immunity is suppressed in gastric cancer, especially in advanced gastric cancer. Cancer 66:2168-2173,1990.

HE SECRETORY IMMUNE SYSTEM plays an important

T role in the local mucosal protection against various kinds of antigens. In patients with selective immunoglobulin (Ig) A deficiency, a higher frequency of connective tissue and autoimmune disorders, cancer, lymphomas and malabsorption syndrome has been reported.'-' In human stomach, age related progression of intestinal metaplasia6 and histogenesis of gastric cancer of differentiated type has been r e p ~r t e d . ~-~ To evaluate local humoral immunity in gastric cancer, the distribution of IgA, IgG, IgM and secretory component (SC), and the number of IgA-containing, IgG-containing, and IgM-containing plasma cells infiltrating cancerous stroma were immunohistochemically investigated.